Chant triste

Mieczyslaw Surzynski (1866-1924) came of a musical family from the west of Poland. He studied in Berlin and Leipzig before returning to Poznan. He then felt the need for further study and enrolled at Regensburg School of Church Music. During the 1890s he held various church organist posts at Libawa, Kiev, St Petersburg and Saratov. He shows influences of Dvorák and Franck, as well as Mendelssohn.

Of the pieces for solo organ the most substantial is the sonata in D minor. Each shows a taste for Gallic smoothness and a fruity grandeur. The Improvisation is the most lively. It is in three parts with a flighty airborne Capriccio and Chant triste which suggests the pathos of Tchaikovsky. Surzynski never cloaks his gift for direct talking melody in academic profusion or complexity.

Think in terms of a Polish Guilmant. Surzynski proves himself a Gallic-inclined songsmith for the organ.

I would NEVER heard of Surzynski if it had not been for our members, loekjehe and Carson Cooman. Carson was kind enough to send me copies of some of his music, including the "Elegia" and the "Chant triste".

I admit that I'm feeling rather down at the moment, and these two pieces felt very "natural" to me as I played them.